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References

Why Peru?

Carmine Dye Extraction Process and the Cochineal Insect. (1999, October 27). Retrieved November 15, 2015, from https://idlbnc.idrc.ca/dspace/bitstream/10625/21568/1/116551.pdf

Cochineal- Ecololigcal Impacts of Cosmetics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2015, from https://sites.google.com/a/own.edu/ecological-impact-of-cosmetics/cochineal

Emmett, S. (n.d.). Seeing Red. Retrieved November 15, 2015, from http://www.new-ag.info/02-3/develop/dev02.html

Gade, D.W.. (1979). Past Glory and Present Status of Cochineal. Geopgraphical Review, 69(3), 353-354. http://doi.org/10.2307/214892

Rodriguez, L. C., Pascual, U., & Niemeyer, H. M. (2006). Local Identification and Valuation of Ecosystem Goods and Services from Opuntia Scrublands of Ayacucho, Peru. Ecological Economics, 57(1), 30-44. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.03.022

Is it sustainable?

  • It has ideal environmental conditions to support vast cochineal populations
  • opuntia scrub plants and cactuses in cities like Ayacucho and Arequipa
  • 2500m altitude
  • average monthly temperatures of 11C-24C
  • rainfall of 754mm from Oct-Mar

Carmine conversion has proven to be a possible candidate as society moves into the search for more sustainable development because it champions natural habitats and has a largely reduced ecological footprint that its synthetic counterparts. However, with expansion and industrialization comes environmental and ethical implications. Alternatives?

Disadvantages of production:

  • expansion
  • parasite
  • industry
  • distaste

Advantages of production:

  • healthier
  • smaller ecological footprint
  • healthier
  • sustains international communities

How is it processed?

Social Dimensions and Ethical Issues

  • Harvesting cochineal
  • can take place in cochineal farms, but most often is done in rural mountainside communities
  • females will embed themselves in the cacti after they have been fertilized
  • farm laborers of peasants will come and sweep off beetles, leaving some to repopulate the next generations, and send the collected beetles for manufacturing
  • Conversion process
  • dried and sieved to obtain parts of cochineal that contain the most carmine (organs and eggs)
  • rinsed, grounded up, boiled in chemical bath
  • then moved into another mixture to get a carmine precipitate that will later be left to set, then driained, and centrifuged
  • finally they will be washed and sterilized, dried, milled, and packaged

Where does it come from?

  • industrialization gives more power to industry and takes away from rural communities
  • American distaste for using products made with bugs
  • FDA required labeling
  • PETA's stance against animal cruelty
  • inequities of reward throughout the commodity chain
  • income for thousands of Andean peasant households
  • It has been found in various Latin American countries throughout history such as Mexico, Spain, Canary Islands, and Peru
  • Today it is most abundant in Peru which represents 80%-95% of the worlds exports

What is it?

Environmental Implications

Carmine is a vivid crimson pigment made from the carcasses of the cochineal beetle.

  • cochineal is a parasitic bug that could have harmful effects if production is expanded into other regions
  • as carmine becomes industrialized it would require the use of more land, fertilizers, pesticides, and alteration of natural habitats

How is it marketed? Who is involved?

  • The process of producer to consumer is multi-faceted
  • begins with the farmer who sells cochineal for ~$3.50/kg
  • collector
  • wholesaler who will resell for ~$12.67/kg
  • exporter who ultimately sells for ~$208/kg
  • purchased by Western Europe, the United States, and Japan
  • How is it used in the United States?
  • cosmetics
  • pharmaceutical coatings
  • soft drinks/juices (Tropicana, Nesquik)
  • condiments
  • baked goods (Betty crocker)
  • candies (Nerds)
  • yogurt (Dannon, Yoplait)
  • Starbucks
  • meats

Cochineal (Carmine)

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